Humiliated, I don’t fight as Marco walks me back to the SUV. “Any cop you go up to, the same thing is going to happen. They’ll hold you for Dom, and hand you over with a smile on their face. All you did is piss off Dom, and now me and Dario are going to pay for it.”
Ice slides down my spine in fear at the idea of Dominic finding out what I’ve done.
***
Regina
I’m back in the apartment at the window seat. I had considered hiding in my room but knew I was putting off the inevitable. Besides, this room soothes me in a way I can’t explain.
There is no warning of the alert from the elevator I’ve been straining to listen for. Suddenly Dominic is there, Marco and Dario beside him. Both men have their heads down. Dominic is studying me.
Why are they here?
His eyes are ice blue. “What happened?”
I shake my head, my throat tight in fear.
“Tell me what you did, princess.” His voice is smoke and fire as it burns over me.
Even though Dominic has his eyes on me, from the corner of my eye I see Marco flinch. “It wasn’t their fault. I saw a chance and I took it. I’m sorry.”
“Their one single job at this time is to keep you in sight, and in hand. They failed. You running was no surprise, it was expected. If you got more than five feet away from them, they failed me. I cannot have that.”
Turning, his attention is on Dario. “Eye or hand? What do you want broken?”
“Dominic, don’t, please. I swear I won’t do it again.”
I might as well not have spoken. Dario meets Dominic’s eyes. “Eye.”
Dominic moves so fast if I had blinked I would have missed it. The crunch of hand to bone is loud in the room. Dario staggers back against the wall, he fights not to go down. His hand against his eye, he’s gasping.
Without a second look at Dario, Dominic asks the same thing of Marco.
I never hear the word; blood is thundering in my ears as I watch Dominic smash his fist into Marco’s eye. Marco isn’t able to stay on his feet. I reel in shock at the violence in front of me.
Through my tears, Dominic is in front of me, a terrifying blur. “Are you going to hit me now too?” I fight to throw the words at him, but I’m shaking so badly they come out a garbled mess.
A hand comes up to caress my cheek, I flinch. It’s the same hand he put through the wall yesterday, the same hand he used to hurt Dario and Marco. Bile rises up in me at seeing blood on his knuckles.
“Why would I hit you, princess? I do believe I have made myself crystal clear. For the next week every time you see Marco and Dario, you’ll be reminded of what you did. The next time,” he shakes his head, “I will not be as lenient. Next time, they will pay in blood. Next time you will pay in pain.”
Trembling in fear, I can’t look at him anymore. His big hand takes mine, the hand with blood on the knuckles. He slips a ring on my left ring finger. Satisfaction is clear on his face at how it fits just right.
“It was my grandmother’s. Nonno gifted it to her on their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary for putting up with him for so many years.”
I shake my head. It feels wrong, so wrong. Everything about this moment is wrong.
Ice blue darkens to ocean as he presses a finger against my lips. Dominic presses his lips against my cheek. “Work with me, Regina, and when we get to twenty-five years you won’t regret a day. I promise you.”
Closing my eyes tight, I can’t say anything.
“Don’t run away from this, from us, princess. You belong to me. I will always come for you and I will always find you. Running will do nothing but make me angry with you. I don’t want to be angry. You don’t want me angry. Don’t do it. For both of us.”
I nod. I can’t say the words. He says what I’ve always known. He won’t stop until he finds me. Without another word, he’s gone.
For a long time all I can do is study the ring on my finger. A thick heavy platinum, if it’s art deco or Edwardian, I can’t say for sure. Intricate leaves climb up the band and tiny diamonds sparkle along the setting holding up the large European diamond that has to be at least three carats, but I think is closer to four.
Twenty-five years, she knew what her husband was, what he did and for at least twenty-five years they were happy, in love. Do Dominic and I really have a chance in hell of making it a year, let alone twenty-five?